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Western Kentucky blanks UTEP volleyball Sunday

Ranked 22nd in the nation by the American Volleyball Coaches Association, Western Kentucky stopped UTEP 3-0 on Sunday afternoon in Memorial Gym.

UTEP played well in the first set and actually had moments when they might have swiped a set.

But Western Kentucky closed out the first set 27-25 and then slammed the door on the Miners with 25-18, 25-15 sets. UTEP is now 7-20 on the season and 1-11 in Conference USA play. Western Kentucky is now 24-3 on the season and 11-1 in C-USA action.

"We did a lot of nice things in the first set," UTEP coach Holly Watts said. "We pushed them. We served really well. And we did some things to take them out of what they wanted to do offensively. But Western Kentucky is a great team. They showed us some power in the last two sets ... especially in that last set."

The two teams were level at 24-24 and 25-25 before the Lady Toppers closed out the opening set. The Miners were never really close in the second set. The two teams were even at 12 — all in the final set before Western Kentucky roared away.

Talia Jones led UTEP with nine kills. Lindsey Larson had seven kills, 21 assists, seven digs and two blocks. Kylie Baumgartner had six kills, five blocks. Sarah Villa had just six digs.

"I think they were determined not to hit at Sarah because she was the conference defensive player of the week last week," Watts said. "That's why her numbers don't look like they usually do."

Jones, a senior, said the team's problem is finishing.

"I just wish we would keep our momentum to the end," Jones said. "The first set we played well — passing, setting, hitting. In the last set we just let little mistakes add up. We needed to just get a side out on each point and just focus on each point."

Larson said they played well in the first set but had trouble blocking at the end.

"It was really back and forth, just kill, kill, kill. Not many long rallies. And that was a plus for us because we've been working on terminating better," Larson said. "At the end, we just had trouble blocking them. Overall, our passing was really good and we played a decent first set."

Lindsey Larson(Photo: UTEP Athletics)

It all just fell apart at the end.

This young Miner team will have a chance to make better endings when UAB visits Memorial Gym next Friday, and then when Louisiana Tech drops in on Sunday.

Bill Knight may be reached at 546-6171; bknight@elpasotimes.com; @BillKnightept on Twitter.